wohnlich



(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'L. J. WOHNLIOH & R. J. SGHOLES. MACHINE FOR GUTTING OPP CAPSULES.

No. 255,829. ljatented Apr. 4,1882.

W/T/VESSES r v INV EIKTOR Aff0rfiey (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2; J.WOHNLIG H 8; R J. SOHOLES.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING OFF CAPSULES;

N0. 2255;829'. Patented Apr. 4,1882.

0 o o o o N PETERS. PhokrLilhcgmpher. Washing'u 7 UNITED STATES PATENT()FFICE.

LOUIS J. WOHNLICH AND RICHARD J. SGHOLES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNORS TO SAID SOHOLES, WILLIAM MOFARLAND, AND ANDREW MOFARLAND, ALLOF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING OFF CAPSULES. v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,829, dated April 4,1882.

Application filed January 23, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that we,LOU1s J. WOHNLICH and RICHARD J. ScHoLEs, of Detroit,county of to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it-pertains to makeand use'it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which forma part of this specification.

Ourinvention consists in the combinations of devices and applianceshereinafter specified,

and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodyingour invention. Fig.2 is a plan view of the platform which supports themold-table, showing the means for clamping the table to the platform.Fig. 3 is aplan view of the platform which supports the drums at theuppe'r'ends of the rotary cutters. Fig.4 shows separate sectional viewsof the springdrum and chain mechanism,'together with the rotary cutters.

The objectofourinvention is to facilitate the cutting of gelatinecapsules upon the molds upon which they are formed.

To this end A represents the frame supporting the device.

Bisavertically-movableplatform,supporting a mold plate or table, B, ofcapsule-molds b, with the capsules 1) formed thereon.

B is a sleeve arrangement fitting upon the sides of the frame A. I 1

O is a screw; 0, a rotary nut; (1 a beveled wheel geared into the nut.

O is a shank, and G the handle for turning the same and elevating orlowering the table.

I) is a spring catch or pawl in the handle 0*.

b is a segmental rack-bar, into whichthe pawl b may engage at anydesired point to hold the table B in any desired position.

B are clamps, operated by a lever, B for holding the mold-plate B firmlyinposition upon the table. The plate is guided to its proper place bycleats B D D represent beds or plateshaving a down: ward and upwardmovement upon or within the frame A.

d is a spring attached to the interior of the case 0 coiling about theshaft 0.

d is a chain secured at one end to the outer surface of each drum andcoiled once around the drum as it stands'iu its normal position, theother end being attached to pins d on a sliding bar, F. e

F is a lever attached to lheframe above, by which the sliding bar F ismoved longitudinally. When the lever, with the sliding bar attached, ispulled outward from the machine the spring in the drum is coiled,and byletting go the lever the springs uncoil and the chain is coiled aboutthe drum. Theshaftofthe spring and drum thus makes one or morerevolutions with the crank attachment 0 and with it the spring-arm E,pressing the rotary cutter E about the capsule upon the mold.

G G are cog-wheels pivoted upon hangers depending from the top piece offrame A and gearing with an intermediate cog-wheel, g, journaled upon ahanger and provided with a crank, G.

G G2 are links, having their upper ends pivoted upon crank-pinsprojecting from the hubs or near the centers of wheels Gr Gr and theirlower ends pivoted to ears projecting from the plate'D. When the crank Gis turned and motion communicated to wheels G the plates D and D have anup-and-down or jigging motion communicated to them through the links G2and springs D so that the rotary cutters E will be caused to scrapeloose the waste portions of the capsules below the circular incis ionsmade by said cutters and said waste portions will fall from the molds.

- By the operation of this device the capsules can be cut uniformly atany required length and the severed portion separated from the capsule.c is a spring-case loosely connected with the drum-shaft. One end of thespring is connected to this case and the other end to the shaft. 0 is apin or screw, by which the springcase may be secured immovably after itshall have been turned sufficiently to give the desired tension to thespring.

In using the machine the plate B detached is inverted and the moldsdipped in properlyprepared gelatine in the usualmanuer,and after themolds have received a coating of sufficient thickness the plate Bisplaced upon the platform B,as shown in the drawings, and secured by theclamps B which are operated by the lever B and connecting-links in anobvious manner. The platform B is then elevated to bring the molds inproper relation to the rotary cutters E, this being performed by turningthe crank O and the bevel-gear C first disengaging the pawl b from Herack D The wheel 0 gives a rotary motion to the nut O, which drives thescrew 0 upward to raise the platform to the desired position, where itmay be retained by allowing the pawl b tore-engage with the rack If. Thelever F is then operated to move the sliding bar F and cause theoperation of the cutters, as before described, after which the crank Gis turned to cause the cutter to scrape 011' the waste portion of theshell, and the moldplate may then be removed and the platform loweredfor another operation.

We are aware that acapsule-cutting machine has heretofore been inventedin which the moldplate is placed upon a vertically-moving platformand by it raised to bring the molds in proper relation to rotary cutterscarried by spring-arms, and that in such a machine the waste is removedfrom the molds by forcing them upward after the capsules are cutoff; andwe do not claim such a machine broadly.

What we claim is- 1. In a capsule-cutting machine, a series of rotarycutters mounted on spring-arms dependin g from vertical rotary shaftsprovided with drums driven in one direction bytheuncoiling of chains orbands, and retracted by springs, substantially as described. 7

2. The combination, with the series of drums fixed upon thecutter-shafts, of the bands, each having one end attached to the outsideofone of the drums, one or more slides connected with the opposite endsof said bands,and means for operating said slides, the whole beingarranged to operate essentially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the rotary shaft and drum to which any cutteris attached, of a spring, one end of which engages the shaft and theother end' is attached to an adjustable drum-case, and pins or screws bywhich said drum-case may be given any desired rotary adjustment forvarying the tension of the spring, substantially as described.

4. Thecombinatiomwith a platform supportingtherotaryeutters,ofoneormoresupportingarms, connected at their upper ends eccentri-- callywith corresponding pinions, and a crank and pinion for rotatingthe sameand imparting a jigging motion to the cutters, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a capsule-machine, the combination, with themold-plate-supportingplatform,ofthe two clamps B B, the lever B, andconnect? ing-links, whereby said clamps are operated simultaneously,substantially as described.

6. In a capsule-cutting machine, the combination, with the rotary cuttersupportingplatform, and jigging mechanism, of springs located beneaththe platform, serving as cushions, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed. In testimony whereof we sign this specifica tion in thepresence of two witnesses.

. LOUIS J. WOHNLIGH.

RICHARD J. SCHOLES. Witnesses J. EDWARD WARREN, N. S. WRIGHT.

